


A Night Out

by cealdish



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F, the slowest burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2020-10-17 06:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20616512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cealdish/pseuds/cealdish
Summary: Charlotte Roselei needed some time alone to relax, but who should she run into but the pink haired witch that had been contributing so much to her stress.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have not written fanfic in almost a decade, so please forgive how clunky and awkward this may seem. Black Clover has been inspiring me lately and the fandom needs more wlw works, so here's my best shot at it. I'm not sure of this going to be a oneshot yet or part of a small series. Please let me know what you think, constructive criticism is always appreciated!

Charlotte Roselei rarely went out for a drink, and even more rarely did she go by herself. As captain of the Blue Rose Knights she had to maintain an air of dignity and elegance when out in public and it was difficult to maintain such an air in some seedy bar surrounded by drunk, rowdy men. It was especially difficult to do so when Charlotte herself was a notorious lightweight.

But tonight was different. Tonight the stress that she had been trying so hard to ignore had built up to a near breaking point. She needed a night out away from work and away from her fellow Blue Roses Knights; as much as she cared for them, as captain she could never truly let herself relax around them, especially Sol. Adding to her usual work stress was the issue that that woman was on Yami’s team and she appeared to be quite close to him. Of course Vanessa was closer to him than Charlotte was given that she was a member of the Black Bulls, but there was something more about Vanessa that bothered her. After all, there were other women on his team and they were all close to each other, but Vanessa was special for some reason. At first, Charlotte believed that she was only jealous because Vanessa was attractive and strong in a way that she knew Yami liked; for days she thought about all the things she knew about the pink-haired witch (which was admittedly very little) and how she could easily see how someone like Yami would be interested in her. She obsessed over Vanessa’s entrancing purple eyes and soft pink lips, she thought endlessly about her impressive thread magic and how confidently she held herself, how she dressed and acted so freely, so fearlessly.

All of this Charlotte had thought about every day since running into Vanessa at the Star Festival and was still thinking about when she pushed open the door to a nameless bar at the end of the street. She sat at the far end of bar in a dark corner where it would be harder for someone to spot her and ordered something light. A few sips and she could already feel her face warming up.

_What if Yami saw me like this? Drinking all alone in this filthy tavern. I’d never live that down._

The beautiful blonde woman buried her face in her hands at the thought, somehow more  
stressed than she had been before. She decided that she would leave as soon as she finished her drink and paid her tab. As she lifted the half empty glass to her lips, she heard a familiar bright and airy laugh behind her.

Charlotte turned around on her stool and saw the face of the woman who had occupied her mind so much these past few days. Vanessa had clearly been there for a while, a few empty bottles that had yet to be bussed were gathered around her like a wall of green glass. What she had been laughing about Charlotte could only guess, as Vanessa also appeared to be alone. She must have felt Charlotte staring because she turned her head slightly and met her gaze.

Vanessa’s smile drooped for just moment before she caught herself. She waved and called loud enough for the other patrons to hear, “Hello, beautiful briar maiden! Care to join me?”  
Charlotte quickly turned back around and tried to hide her face again before anyone saw. She felt an arm drape across her shoulders and looked up in horror to see Vanessa’s face dangerously close to hers.

“Please, just leave me alone. I’m on my way out,” Charlotte answered staring at the floor.

“Aw, come on. You can’t stick around for one more drink?”

“I can’t be seen drinking with a member of the Black Bulls, especially in a place like this!”

“I hate to break this to you, but you kind of already have.”

It was true. Most of the other people in the bar had been watching this little scene unfold without even bothering to hide their stares and derisive smiles. Charlotte’s face was now aflame with embarrassment rather than the alcohol, her throat was too tight to speak. This was all Vanessa’s fault and now there was no way out. Charlotte prayed that this was some horrible nightmare that should wake up from any moment, but strong scent of alcohol from Vanessa’s breath told her that it was all too real.

“C’mon, I’ll get a bottle to go. I think we should talk,” Vanessa said flagging the bartender.

\----------- ------------ --------------

Vanessa and Charlotte walked together in the dark, mostly empty streets in total silence, save for the sound of the wine rocking around in the bottle Vanessa was holding. They finally found a secluded bench near the river where they sat down together.

“What do you want from me, Black Bull?”

“You can call me Vanessa.”

“Don’t be so familiar with me, I’m a captain you know.”

“Jeez, do you ever relax? Isn’t that why you came out tonight?”

“Please, you don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you like Yami.”

Charlotte was too surprised to speak for a moment. She turned away and looked farther down the water way. “That’s insane. How could ever l have feelings for someone like that? I’ll admit he’s strong, but he’s far too crass and brutish for my liking.”

“Whatever you say, Captain.” Vanessa paused for a moment to open the wine and take sip before she said, “I like him too, y’know.”

Charlotte felt a knot form in her stomach. She had suspected as much but hearing her say it out loud was a different story. “Well, he’s all yours. I have no interest in him.”

Vanessa laughed, “You’re a terrible liar, you know that?” She offered the bottle to Charlotte who hesitated for a moment, then relented and took a small sip. Vanessa looked back at the river and hummed a little to herself.“You know, I’m actually originally from the Forest of Witches and the women there almost never fight over men,” she waited for Charlotte to respond but was met with silence, so she continued, “most witches hate men and they think women are the superior gender, a lot like you and your team actually.” Charlotte remained silent waiting for Vanessa to get to her point. “And while I’m not sure I agree with all that, there is a certain bond that we share in an environment like that. The women there uplift each other and always look out for one another. They really love each other, even the witches that don’t get along still love each other in some way and I think that that is something truly beautiful.”

“What exactly are getting at, Black Bull?”

“I’m saying that I think that despite our feelings for Yami, we should still love each other like that. It’s crazy that two beautiful strong women like us should be so petty over a crush. I mean, you remember the Star Festival? We were both acting so ridiculous. You think so too, right?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Isn’t that why you founded the Blue Rose Knights? As a team where strong women could love and support each other?”

“Well, I admit that that is true, but I think ‘love’ might be a strong word.”

“Don’t tell that to your subordinate, the one who calls you ‘sis’ all the time.”

“You mean Sol,” Charlotte thought for a moment, “I suppose I do love her and the rest of my team, but I at least know them and I don’t know you.”

“You could know me, if you wanted too,” Vanessa’s voice softened as she said this and turned to smile at Charlotte. Charlotte noticed the moon behind her, not quite full but large and bright, shining on Vanessa’s hair making it glow in way that seemed almost divine. She felt her face heat up again and knew it wasn’t the wine. She took another, larger swig from the bottle. She tried to say something in response, but the drink had begun to take effect. She felt her energy drain out of her and her eyes suddenly felt very heavy; all she managed was, “know…you?” before she began to lean forward.

Vanessa watched as Charlotte’s eyes began to close and her face draw nearer. For a moment, Vanessa thought she might have gotten through to her much faster than she’d expected, until Charlotte’s forehead landed on Vanessa’s shoulder and Vanessa realized that she was fast asleep.

“Well, I’ll take that for now. Let’s get you home.” Vanessa stood up and gently supported Charlotte’s waist and wrapped her arm across her shoulders. “But we’re not done yet. I still have a lot more to teach you about women loving women, Captain.”


	2. Chapter Two: The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte reflects on the night before, or she would if she could remember what happened. Why does thinking about Vanessa bring up such strange feelings in her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't sure if I was going to even write a second chapter, but I got the urge to write more for this pairing, so here we are. Hope you like it! As always, I'm open to constructive criticism!

Charlotte awoke in her bedroom, confused about how she got there. The last thing she remembered was being at that bar. She had had a drink with…? Who was she with? She couldn’t recall now. Her head was hurting too much to think properly. She reached over to the glass of water sitting on her nightstand, mind too cloudy to question who had put it there.

She took small slow slips and felt the coolness of the water move through her, spread from her throat, to her stomach, and then out to her limbs. She still felt quite tired and considered going back to sleep, but knew she had far too much to do today. She tossed her blanket from her legs and carefully forced herself up out of bed. 

Charlotte could feel a greasy film on her face and headed to the bathroom to freshen herself up. She leaned over the elegant marble sink without looking at herself in the mirror, too scared to see what she must have looked like at the moment. She splashed water on her face and washed with the rose scented soap she used to help her glow more brightly. She rinsed it off and reached for the plush cotton towel embroidered with blue roses hanging on the rack next to her. She finally looked up at the mirror and took herself in. Not as bad she thought thankfully. Just a bit tired looking and some hair out place, but she could fix that. 

She walked back into her room towards her large ornate vanity and sat on the silk cushioned seat in front of it. She smoothed some of her hair down before picking up her golden hair brush and got to work on her errant platinum locks. As she pulled her brush through for the third or fourth time she noticed that one of the hairs caught in the bristles was a single strand of hair a different color than her own. She pulled it out. Pink with a slight curl. That was when she remembered the witch from the night before. Vanessa. Member of the Black Bulls and potential rival for Yami’s romantic affection. Why was that every interaction with her ended with Charlotte getting drunk and falling asleep? There was something about her that made Charlotte’s stomach feel strange, almost the way she felt around Yami, but just a bit different. Maybe it was the way that Vanessa always looked so intensely at her. Not just with jealousy, but as though Vanessa could see the very movements of Charlotte’s mind. It made her feel vulnerable and vulnerable was something Charlotte could not allow herself to be. 

She worked to remember what they had discussed last night. She knew Yami had come up, but something else? Something about women? And love? Try as she may, she could not sort out the details of what they had talked about. She wracked her brain trying to pull out additional memories, but was interrupted before she had recovered any by a knock at the door.

“Big sis!! Are you awake? I’m coming in!” Sol shouted as she entered without waiting for a response. She was carrying a small silver tray that held a steaming teacup.

“Sol please, I have a headache,” Charlotte gently chastised.

“Sorry sis!”

“And please call me Captain.”

“Right, Captain Big Sis! I brought you some peppermint tea. It’s good for headaches and nausea!”

“Thank you Sol, that’s very kind of you. How did you know I wasn’t feeling well?” Charlotte asked, delicately lifting the cup to her lips.

“Oh, well, you didn’t look too good when that Black Bull woman brought you home last night.”

Charlotte nearly choked on her tea,  _ She brought me home? And people saw me like that? Oh god, I’m never going to live this down. _

“Um, Big Sis, are you all right?”

“Tell me Sol, did anyone else see me last night?”

“No, it was just me. I was waiting up for you! You were way later than usual and I was getting worried. I was actually just about to go out and looked for you when you came home.”

_ Well, that’s a relief at least. _ “And the Black Bu- And Vanessa? Did she say anything while she was here?”

“Hm? Oh no, not really, just to get you to bed and that you might not be feeling well today. What were you doing with her anyway?”

“Oh nothing. We just had a drink together.”   
“Whaaaaaaaat?! You went out with her?!?!?”

“Don’t phrase it like that, it wasn’t a date.”

“But we’ve never gone out drinking together.”

“I’m your captain, Sol. That would be highly inappropriate.”

“But why her? You know how the Black Bulls are!”

“We ran into each other by coincidence. She wanted to smooth things over after what happened at the Star Festival. We just talked for a bit about... Well, anyway, she’s not so bad.”

“Well, I guess she  _ is  _ a woman after all, so I guess she’s probably not as bad as her captain. And women should look out for each other, right?”

_ ‘The women there uplift each other and always look out for one another,’  _ Charlotte heard Vanessa’s words from the night before echo in her brain. She was starting to remember, but what was the rest of what she said?

“Yes Sol, that’s right.”

“So are you guys friends now?”

“Wha-? No! I mean, maybe. I don’t know. We don’t really know each other that well,” Charlotte felt her face flush though she could not figure out why. 

“Well, are you going to hangout with her again?”

“No, I don’t think so. Like I said, we just ran into each other and had something to discuss,” Charlotte felt disappointed by her answer when she heard herself say it.  _ Did _ she actually want to see Vanessa again?

“But what if you run into her again and she wants to talk more?”

“I’ll worry about that if and when it happens.”

Sol sat on the edge of Charlotte’s bed and thought for a moment. She closed her eyes and hummed to herself. Charlotte had no idea what Sol was thinking about, but for some reason it made her uneasy. Did Sol see through her? Could she tell that she wanted to see Vanessa again even if she was not sure herself?

“Hmmm, you know, that Vanessa woman is really pretty. Not as beautiful as you of course Big Sis, but still pretty and strong too.”

“What are you getting at Sol?”

“Don’t you think she would make a good Blue Rose? I think she would fit in better here. And she’s got that neat thread magic.”

“Are you suggesting that I steal her away from her current squad to join ours?”

“It would give you a chance to get to know each other better.”

“There are easier ways to do that, if that’s what I wanted, but I’m perfectly fine with leaving things as they are.” Charlotte felt strange, like even she did not know if what she was saying was true. If she could just clear her head and think for a bit and maybe remember more of what they talked about, she might be able to figure out what was bothering her so much, “Sol, will you go and set up the training arena while I finish getting dressed? I’ll be down in just a minute.”

“Sure thing, Big Sis!” Sol hopped up and quickly left, eager as always to make Charlotte happy.

Charlotte once again tried to recall memories of last night as she pulled on her Captain’s uniform. ‘ _ Women look out for one another…’  _ Charlotte turned those words over and over again in her mind. She knew they were important to the rest of the conversation, but she could not for the life of her remember any other of Vanessa’s words. It was frustrating her to the point where she knew that if she did not figure it out soon, she would absolutely lose her mind. She knew she had no choice now. 

She ran to her desk and quickly scratched out a brief letter.

As she made her way to the training area, she stopped one of the male members of her squad.

“You there, have this delivered to the Black Bulls’ headquarters. To one Miss Vanessa Enoteca,” she instructed, trying to keep her voice even so as not to betray her growing anxiety.

“Right away Captain Roselei!” the man saluted and ran off to fulfill his task.

And now there was nothing to do but wait for a response. 


End file.
